Delays in the Issuance of Hearing Decisions

As you may know, the Social Security Administration has been backlogged with thousands of cases in the last few years. This has resulted in myriad problems – including delays in the issuance of decisions following Social Security Disability hearings.

Additional reasons for delays in the delivery of decisions are due to insufficient staff and an inefficient process surrounding the writing of opinions. The SSA routinely allows staff members who were not present at the hearing to write the final decision.

There have been instances when the ALJ has announced a favorable decision at the end of the hearing. As great as this may seem, this favorable decision does not go into effect until it is in writing, which may take an additional three-to-six months. Many claimants are financially struggling and this impediment makes matters only worse.

Right now, there is no quick solution for this problem. Claimants must understand from the onset that from start to finish, the Social Security disability process is long and tiresome. Although advancements have been made, there is still much needed work to be done before claimants will experience an expedited process.